The following is an edited interview by Ryan Noha of Carlton Wynne, a new faculty member of Reformed Forum. This is the third installment of interviews highlighting the Lord’s work in the lives and ministries of our Reformed Forum faculty. Carlton sits down with Ryan Noha to discuss growing up in a mainline Presbyterian church, becoming a confessional Presbyterian, and serving his Lord in his family, church, and the work of Reformed Forum. 

Carlton, I’ve been blessed to get to know you over the years, first, through an excellent ThM class that you taught at Westminster on modern theology in 2019, and then through our work together at Reformed Forum. Let’s begin much further back than that, however, with your upbringing in the church. How did you become a Christian and then a confessional Presbyterian?

I grew up in a Christian home in Houston, Texas, where my family attended and I was baptized in First Presbyterian Church, which became a congregation in the PC(USA) denomination but is now a church in ECO. I believe the Lord regenerated me through the ministry of a Sunday school teacher whose name I cannot remember. I have a vague memory of realizing that the gospel was about Christ, that I needed him, and that it was very important for me to trust in him. I was probably five or six years old.

My understanding of Scripture and things of God at a young age came largely through my father, who became very interested in Ligonier Ministries and books by R. C. Sproul. I remember reading The Holiness of God and Chosen by God as a middle schooler, bringing my biblical questions to my dad. His little green leather Bible was often open next to him on his bed (usually with a TableTalk magazine next to it). I spent many evenings lying on that bed, talking with him about the things of God.

Beyond my father’s discipleship and my mother’s example, the Lord very graciously put men in my life who modeled for me Christian love and leadership throughout my time in youth ministry, college, and more formal ministry capacities—first as an intern with Reformed University Fellowship in the PCA then later in seminary and in pastoral ministry.

Not only did I become a believer at a very young age in a Christian home while attending church, but significantly, at the age of twelve, I witnessed my church rent asunder by a debate and ultimately a vote over whether to remain permanently in the then recently formed PC(USA). Six-hundred people, including my family, left that church and formed a church in the EPC, which, incidentally, has since migrated into the PCA.

During those days, I became aware of the significance of orthodox doctrine for the life of the church, and I witnessed its real-world impact on relationships, families, and the spiritual welfare of God’s people. Through my father’s involvement in that controversy, I gained a keen sense that church life could be messy, but it was important. That awareness has only grown over the years.

A confessional Presbyterian identity came much later. As a senior in college on my way to the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology at Tenth Presbyterian Church, I stopped at the bookstore at Westminster Theological Seminary and bought my first copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith. I had heard of the Confession but had never read it. The Lord has a little sense of humor because I would later return, obviously, to Westminster as a student then as a professor.

As the years went by, I became more involved in church ministry. I was an intern with Reformed University Fellowship at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and then attended seminary at RTS in Charlotte. It was there that I grew to love systematic theology, and I realized that how important it is for Christians to have a theological structure—revealed in and developed out of the Scriptures—if they are to properly read their Bibles, to think about the Christian life, and to understand the gospel. The Westminster Standards became, for me, the framework in which I would grow in my knowledge of the Scriptures and of the Lord Jesus.

After seminary, I was called back to Dallas to serve as an assistant pastor, but I soon left to study at Westminster. Now I’m back in the pastoral ministry. Through those years, my conviction grew that a confessionally Reformed outlook is not only true and faithful to the Scriptures but also useful and important for believers in the pew.

Amen, brother. There is so much to be thankful for in all that you’ve said. The Lord has led you step by step from one degree of glory to another. What a fitting testimony to his sovereign grace that he would use a faithful Sunday school teacher, whose name you cannot even remember, to bring you the Word of God through which the Spirit gave you a new heart. And he has been faithful to grow you through the preaching of that Word and its reinforcement through family devotions and the example of godly mentors in the faith.

Maybe I could add that one of the most significant mentors in that long line of men the Lord has placed in my life is Dr. Lane Tipton, well-known to Reformed Forum readers and listeners. When I arrived in Philadelphia from Texas, Lane and I started meeting on a fairly regular basis. For years, he patiently listened to me spout what I thought I understood and then graciously and gently dialogued with me to smooth out and solidify what I would call the “wet cement” that remained in my theological outlook. To change the metaphor slightly, he helped to fortify in me many of the steel-beam structures of Reformed, confessional, and covenantal Christianity with a focus on the death and resurrection of Christ. Maybe best of all, he’s really shown me that the deepest friendships are grounded in a joyful, clear-eyed sharing of theological conviction in the love of Christ.

That’s beautiful to have such a brother in arms and so many other saints who have encouraged you in the faith. How do you now as a family man, as a head of a household, strive to carry on their legacy by discipling the next generation in Christ? Introduce us to your family life and tell us how the Lord is working in your lives to mature you in all in Christ.  

I’d be glad to. I’m married to my wonderful wife, Linley, for twenty-one years. We met in college where she became a believer. At every step of the way since, she has devoted herself not only to me but also increasingly to the church and to the raising of our three fabulous boys, ages sixteen, fourteen, and twelve. What we try to do in our home is to make the grace and truth of the Lord part of the warp and woof of everyday life.

Since our boys were babies, we have tried to think and live in terms of a Christian worldview—from my wife taking them to the park, showing them flowers and animals, to doing family devotions and reading from theologians that other children probably don’t hear read in their homes very much. By God’s grace, they’re very patient with me and are willing to listen and even to take an interest in theological and apologetic matters. Of course, that’s a great joy to me. Like John says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” [3 John 1:4]. All three of my sons are communing members of our church here in Atlanta, and it’s just a delight to be their dad.

My serving as a pastor and teacher brings unique privileges to our family. Among the privileges are all the ways that the church and seminary world have introduced our family to friends, books, and voices that we would otherwise never have encountered. And yet, as children of any pastor knows, there are unique challenges as well. Thankfully, the church where I serve loves and cares for our family as any other family. I think our boys would freely acknowledge that our commitment to the church and to Christ is not some performance but born out of the Lord’s design and his grace to each one of us.

Indeed. God has been gracious to you not only as a family man but also as a churchman, even an ordained servant in the PCA. What is your current pastoral call? How is the Lord building up the saints in your midst through the ordinary means of grace, particularly the preaching of the Word?

It’s my great joy to serve as the associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Our church has deep roots in the PCA; it was the host of the original convocation of sessions that helped organize the launch of the PCA back in the 1970s. The church itself was started in 1901. I was called to serve on the pastoral staff in the heart of COVID in 2020. The original and continuing plan was for me to serve in a preaching, teaching, and shepherding function—preaching at our Sunday evening services and working closely with our senior pastor, Aaron Messner. All of it has been, as Lane Tipton says, “an unqualified delight.”

Week to week, I lead in worship, teach a Sunday School class (currently working very slowly through the Westminster Confession of Faith), and preach at our evening service. We also have a gathering on Wednesday evenings, where the pastors share a teaching load. Currently, we’re teaching a series on eschatology, which will lead into a study of the book of Revelation.

I also have the great privilege of promoting good Christian literature among our congregation. I help out with a “book of the month” initiative, where on the first Wednesday evening of the month, we take a break from our normal teaching series, and I give a presentation and lead a discussion on a classic or helpful work of theology. So far, we’ve done everything from Augustine’s Confessions to R. C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God to Athanasius’s On the Incarnation to Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism. And we just started Jonathan Landry Cruse’s What Happens When We Worship.

During the week, I meet with people for lunch, do premarital counseling and, of course, weddings and funerals—and all the wonderful opportunities that the Lord opens up through pastoral ministry to minister to the Lord’s people. Over the years, I’ve grown to love the flock in Atlanta, and I am increasingly thankful for the opportunity to preach and teach God’s Word to them. On the side, I teach about three classes a year at the Atlanta campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. Currently, I’m teaching a class titled Christ, Culture, and Contextualization. I also have the privilege of teaching apologetics and on the Westminster Standards.

Along the lines of your work in the seminary, we know that it’s fitting for a professor to be researching, writing, and producing new scholarship. Are you working on any new books or articles in conjunction with your labors in the local church or RTS?

Brother, I envy those who can find time to research and write while being full-time engaged in full-time pastoral ministry! I find a little bit of time each week, but even that’s been a struggle. Nevertheless, I continue to work on a book on covenant theology and baptism, which has been a thrill and a trial at the same time. I’ll be thankful when that project is finished. But it’s been a blessing to reflect on the topics of covenant and baptism for the past couple of years. The doctrine of the covenant embraces the whole Christian life and all of human history. And I believe that baptism as a sign of the covenant of grace is likewise a window into the full scope of redemptive history with so many implications for the Christian and for the church.

Amen. I’m looking forward to a taste of some of the fruits of your years of labor on the subject of baptism at our upcoming theology conference where we’ll be unpacking the ordinary means of grace that God uses for extraordinary ends. How did you first get to know about Reformed Forum? And other than your participation at our conference, how are you actively engaged in promoting our Colossians 1:28 mission as a faculty member?

Well, thanks, brother. It’s been an honor to be involved in the work of Reformed Forum. I first started listening to Christ the Center when I was a pastor in Dallas and a very fresh MDiv graduate. I don’t know how I found it, but I do remember one thing—going to Best Buy and buying the longest extension cord for earphones that I could find. We had an elliptical machine in my small study space at home, and I took some duct tape and taped that long extension from the elliptical around to the side of my desk and up to my laptop to plug it in so that I could listen to Christ the Center while exercising. That’s how I got to know Camden and Reformed Forum. For years, I listened to those interviews. I eventually stumbled upon Lane Tipton’s lectures on union with Christ. I still remember where I was when he walked through the benefits of our salvation as laid up in the person of Christ, explaining how the benefits are not abstracted from the Benefactor. I had zero idea that these guys whom I was listening to would eventually become my good friends. My meager contributions to Reformed Forum began when I came to Westminster [Theological Seminary] to study and participated in one or two interviews as a student. The next formal step was when Lane, Camden, and I began recording the Van Til group, walking through The Defense of the Faith, which has been a great joy. I love talking Van Til with those guys. We need to be more regular with our recordings, but life is busy! Now I have the great privilege of serving as a faculty member with Reformed Academy, contributing a course on Calvin’s Institutes. And I’m looking forward to my first Reformed Forum conference in Chicago this month [September 2024]. So, I’m a big fan of Reformed Forum. And I’m not alone; it’s exciting to hear our church members talk about Reformed Forum’s podcasts and courses. Many of them found Reformed Forum apart from knowing me, so it’s encouraging to see the reach and the influence that the ministry is having today.

I can confirm from all my time on the road, whether at the PCA GA or on the conference circuit, that folks are appreciative of your own labors through Reformed Forum. There’s lots of anticipation for your next course on Calvin’s Institutes, Books 3–4, for example. We’ll have to find a time to bring you back to the studio in 2025 to finish that series. As we look to the future, entrusting ourselves to the Lord, how might our readers remember you, your family, your church, and all your labors in the Lord in prayer?

Ah, yes! I’d love to finish the course. We can’t leave out Calvin on union with Christ! In terms of prayers, the first thing that comes to mind is that the Lord would enable me to be faithful in the ordinary things—loving my wife, raising my boys, preaching faithfully the Word. I just finished preaching through the Gospel of John, and I’ve picked back up in the book of Proverbs. So, I would ask for prayer that I would be a faithful preacher of Christ, a zealous teacher of God’s Word, and a loving shepherd of God’s people.

Secondly, I would appreciate prayer for overall physical stamina. The Lord’s been very merciful in giving me energy and strength. But I don’t mind sharing that my father gave me one of his kidneys back in 2006. Like many, I feel the weakness of the outer man in unique ways as we maintain a watchful eye on my own health, and I would appreciate prayer that the Lord would sustain me for many years before I go to glory. That is definitely my hope and my plan.

And thirdly, please pray that the Lord would enable our church in Atlanta and the church at large to persevere in fellowship with Christ through suffering with a heart-stirring heavenly vision of our inheritance in Christ.

Jacob exhibits his faith as he responds in obedience to the Lord’s command to return to the land of his fathers. He had made a vow before the Lord, and the Lord now calls upon him to keep his vows. In this episode we see an appearance of “the angel of God,” who points Jacob — and us — to a greater inheritance than land or riches, but the inheritance of “the God of Bethel” — redemption from sin and reconciliation with God.

Participants: Joel Fick, Mark A. Winder

In this episode we see how John, the last prophet of the Old Covenant, transitions us to the New Covenant era by announcing the arrival of the LORD in the person of Jesus Christ. The focus of the passage is not on the uniqueness of John the Baptist, but the uniqueness of the one toward whom he points.

Participants: Joel Fick, Mark A. Winder

This the second installment of a quarterly series of interviews highlighting the Lord’s work in the lives and ministries of our Reformed Forum faculty. Lane Tipton, Fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Reformed Forum and pastor of Trinity OPC in Easton, Pennsylvania, sits down with Ryan Noha to discuss his conversion through a Leviticus 16 sermon on TV, his zeal for Christian education and global missions, and his joyful service of the Lord in his family, church, and the work of Reformed Forum as the George Bailey of Glenside.

Lane, I’m familiar with your background and how you came to know the Lord, but it’s always a joy to hear of the old, old story of the gospel and how the Lord brings the finished work of Christ to bear effectually upon his people. Would you tell us how you were converted and then eventually became a minister in the OPC?

I grew up in a Southern Baptist home. My mother was a devout and godly woman. Her parents were both wonderful Christians. My father was not a believer, but my mother would have us attend worship with her every Sunday morning. From the earliest time I can remember, I was sitting under the gospel, but I did not accept and embrace it. After I hit about age 13, my mom did not require me to go to church but gave me the opportunity to either go or not go, and I decided I wouldn’t go. I went through my junior high and high school years without really going to church at all, without attending any worship services at all. I played a year of football on a scholarship out of Tascosa at Eastern New Mexico State University. I was thinking about pursuing a law degree and thought when I came home that summer that it would be a really wise thing to read my Bible and get a little bit of familiarity with the Judeo-Christian ethic, given the fact that I was wanting to pursue law.

I turned to Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees almost instantly where he was denouncing them in Matthew 23 and following for being whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside, but inside full of dead men’s bones. I recognized that he was speaking in his word to me, and that I was in danger of the judgment. A few days later on a Sunday morning, I turned on the television, and a man was preaching on Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement. He then talked about the blood of a sacrificial offering, a sin offering, being brought into the most holy place and satisfying the wrath of God. He talked about a scapegoat, having the sins of Israel confessed over its head and being driven outside the camp, bearing away the guilt of God’s people. He said these were types of Jesus. And I instantly recognized that my release from my sin, and my fear, and my guilt, and my burden was found in the wrath-propitiating, blood sacrifice of Jesus who bore away my sin. I saw instantly in that typology that Jesus was like the scapegoat, who had taken my sin away from me as far as the east is from the west. He had shed his blood for my sin and satisfied God’s wrath. And I repented of my sin; I asked the Lord to forgive me. I was elated. I thought, goodness, how could I have not seen this all of these years? I instantly told my mom who just came into the room and was weeping tears of joy. She had been praying for this for 19 years. And the Paul Harvey aspect of the story is that of all people to preach that sermon, it happened to be Jimmy Swaggart, believe that or not.

So I was converted and within a few months had found my way toward the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I had received through some men, who were in Amarillo at the time, interested in Reformed theology, some literature that led me toward the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. As I read systematic theologies—Louis Berkhof, some B. B. Warfield, a little bit of Van Til—I was very quickly led by conviction to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I came to appreciate immensely Machen’s commitment to the spirituality of the church, his critique of liberalism as a different religion, the militancy of the OPC, its self-conscious embrace of being a pilgrim people, maintaining faithfulness to the gospel, not seeking cultural influence or affluence, but seeking rather to worship the Lord as engaged pilgrims, taking every thought captive, making it obedient to Christ, seeking the things above by faith, entering Sabbath rest, and being concerned most of all for the worship of the Triune God and giving a consistent, faithful witness to the world and calling all men and women, boys and girls everywhere to repent. That sent me on a path toward going to seminary.

It was a strangely quick movement from my conversion to pursuing the OPC and coming to a profound appreciation of Machen and his militancy and humility, and the church as it has been called by Charlie Dennison, “the church of the brokenhearted,” the church that mourns. This is not the norm, this kind of policy and worship and doctrine and this heavenly-mindedness. I have been in the OPC years and years now. I joined the Abilene congregation in 1989, if my memory serves, so it’s been a while.

I rejoice to hear of the Lord’s grace in your life afresh, not only that he was pleased to raise you from the deadness of your sin, but to grant you such rapid growth and maturity, even that you would see Christ in all of Scripture from day one and then dive right away into the deep end of Reformed theology with Machen and all the greats. This is truly a wonderful grace and profound mercy. I’d love to hear about the Lord’s gracious work in your family, as well. Would you introduce us to the Tiptons and share with us how the Lord is leading you all through this current season of life?

I met my wife, Charlene, when I came back from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She has five uncles who have been or still are Orthodox Presbyterian ministers. We met in Abilene, Texas in 1992. About 10 months later, we were married. Everyone was saying, you guys need to get married. And I was all excited about us—you didn’t have to encourage me! She’s a beautiful, godly, intelligent, wonderful woman. Soon after that, we went to seminary, Westminster California. And by the time 1998 came around, we had our first child, Lauren; a few years later, Lyle; a few years after that, Trevor; a few years after that, Katie or Kaitlyn. And so we have four children. The oldest, Lauren, is now married. Lyle and Trevor are at Geneva playing basketball. And I will admit, tearing it up, and I’m very thankful for that. They’re godly young men walking with the Lord. Katie is class president just flourishing at Phil-Mont school founded by Cornelius Van Til. It’s all worked out in an amazing way.  Char and I are coming up on our 30th anniversary this next year. She works in the OPC home offices. She has been working there for several years now and does a fantastic job.

We’ve been here in Glenside since 1998, and it’s wonderful. I’m serving at Trinity OPC in Easton. It’s about 50 minutes from here. The family is doing great. They are a delight to my heart. They love the Lord and are all flourishing. I am so thankful. I’ve joked around before; I’ll adapt it, transpose it into this: I’m the George Bailey of Glenside, brother. I am just so thankful, so happy, and so richly blessed to have this family. They are, outside of the Lord, just the truest and purest joy of my heart.

Now as long as you mentioned Phil-Mont Academy and Van Til, I’ve got to ask, did you and Char have a devotional yet over that 1961 Van Til editorial I shared with you? The one that was published by Willow Grove Christian Day School, “The Whole Armour of God”?

Not yet. But talk about a letter that just states all that my wife has said before! Char has said before a number of times that she loves obviously loves Van Til. She and I married in part around a passionate commitment to Christian education. When I was in seminary out in California, Char taught at a Christian school. She taught years before that in Reformed Christian schools. She is just a fantastic teacher. We homeschooled our children. But when we first met, she and I read Van Til’s Essays on Christian Education as devotional literature and would marvel at the wonderful, robust, Reformed Trinitarianism, and Covenant Theology, and antithesis, and understanding of common grace, and the proper and indispensable role of Christian education from a Reformed world-and-life view. We fell in love around that. And so when we came to the Philadelphia area, and Phil-Mont was within ten minutes of our house, founded by Van Til—it’s just wonderful. So we’ll get around to that essay. I’m sure we’ll have numbers of discussions about it. Char has said, and I agree in certain ways with this, that Van Til might be at his very best when he’s talking about Christian education. You know, there’s a lot of “best” about Van Til, but one of his brightest points is talking about a consistently Reformed theological education for covenant children.

I couldn’t agree more. Now, you mentioned that you’re currently serving as pastor of Trinity OPC in Easton, Pennsylvania. What is your beloved congregation like and how is the Lord using the ordinary means of grace to gather and perfect the saints at Trinity?

I’ve been at Trinity in Easton for around a decade. Right before I arrived, the pastor left to join the Roman Catholic communion, which was a devastating blow to the congregation. For the past decade, I’ve had the unparalleled privilege of pastoring and shepherding and encouraging the saints in their walk with the Lord. As I said, apart from the Lord, my family is my chief delight, but just right in there, just as an unqualified delight is the service of the saints at Trinity. The elders, Charlie DeBoer, Joe Olliff, Luke DeBoer, Ian Parkin—a dear brother passed away about a year ago, went to be with the Lord—serving alongside those dear brothers in such a loving and giving congregation has been an oasis in the wilderness for me. I have delighted in my service, to know and love the congregation, to preach, teach, and serve alongside those brothers on the Session. The congregation over the years has grown to be what I would consider now to be a thriving, vibrant congregation filled with delightful people. I don’t want to overuse the George Bailey allusion, so I’ll change here, but I’ve been spoiled. And there is no end in sight from my side in terms of the service there. It continues to be an increasing joy for me. To see the way the Lord blesses through slow, steady, self-conscious means of grace, through Word and sacrament, through visiting and getting to know them as brothers and sisters in the Lord, walking beside them, bearing burdens, turning them to the sufferings and the comfort that are in Jesus Christ. I’ve always wanted to be a pastor; I was never initially aspiring to be a professor. And the Lord has granted me one of the deepest desires of my heart. Once again, I’m just so thankful for it.

That is tremendous, brother. To follow up for those who don’t know, who is George Bailey? And would your elaborate a bit upon what you’re preaching and teaching through these days and share any particular insights you might have from your studies in the Word?

If you remember, Jimmy Stewart played George Bailey in an all-time Christmas classic, It’s A Wonderful Life. And the long story short is that he finds that the money, the influence, the opportunity for notoriety, that all of those things pale mightily in comparison to having a group of people, family and friends, who gather around and love you and rejoice when you rejoice and mourn when you mourn. I don’t want to spoil it in case there are some younger folks out there who haven’t seen it, but at the end of the movie, when everyone’s coming into the house, doing something that’s just beautiful—I can’t resist the analogy. It’s delightful, whether it’s you brothers at Reformed Forum, whether it’s a number of dear brothers throughout the world, my loving family, the dear congregation, the Lord has just blessed me. And so I really do mean it, partly as a joke, but partly true: I’m like the George Bailey of Glenside, brother. I’m very thankful for it.

I’ve been preaching for some time on the book of Ephesians. I took about a one-year break and did some work on Hebrews 12 during the pandemic to talk about the unshakable kingdom. No matter what happens in this world, we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Over the past several months, I’ve been preaching through the armor of God and Ephesians 6, which is Christ, and have looked at how that armor is fundamentally putting on Christ, his ordinances, his Word, his Spirit, and by faith rising up with his people to fight against the principalities and powers of this present evil age, to set forth the truth of the gospel and its antithetical, full-orbed glory, and to recognize that no matter what happens in terms of the escalation of evil around us in the culture or in the world, Jesus Christ has established his Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it because the Lord who is our armor has gone before us, destroyed his and our enemies and is in the process of making them a footstool for his feet, which will reach its climax in his glorious, visible second coming.

It’s been a delight to preach through that that book, and I’m kind of coming up on the end of it. You never know; I can’t ever calculate how many more sermons are in the hopper for it. But we’re moving toward the end of the Ephesians 6, and it has been an unusually rich feast for me to preach through. You think you understand the text until you work on it week in and week out for weeks, months, or years, and so it has been peculiarly rich for me. I’ve been very encouraged doing it. Of course, I have—I don’t want to diminish any other congregations in the world—but I might have the most patient and loving congregation in the OPC. They have stayed through it all, and we’ve taken a slow, careful look at that text and just feasted on the Christ who is revealed in it. It’s been a delight.

Now you’re a bit unusual as a minister in the OPC because you not only have the privilege of preaching twice every Lord’s day and doing Sunday school and visitation and serving the saints in Easton, but you’re also a Fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Reformed Forum. How are you actively engaged in the Colossians 1:28 mission of Reformed Forum in that particular capacity?

Let me begin by saying Reformed Forum has been and always will be a pure labor of love for me. You do not find anything like it anymore. In the past, there were some that were striving for this, but the combination of militancy and love, distinctive commitments to the Confession, Van Til, Vos Kline, and the development of what you might call the old Westminster theology or the first generation OPC theology, enriched by people like Kline, Gaffin, Strimple, and others—that’s unique to Reformed Forum. The ministry is so distinctive, while at the same time not succumbing to these biblicist, mutualist perversions that you find in the evangelical and ostensibly “Reformed” world of contemporary vintage in the last 20 years. At Reformed Forum you’ve got a catholic, Reformed, robust ministry of Reformed theology with Colossians 1:28 as the mission, seeking to present everyone mature in Christ.

My service, whether it pertains to the Reformed Academy and teaching courses on Van Til, Reformed Forum conferences—we’ve got one coming up that I’m so excited I can barely contain myself over—or the books that I’ve been graciously given the opportunity to write for Reformed Forum—Foundations of Covenant Theology, the Van Til book [The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til], and several on the way—all continues to be a joy in the Lord. I don’t feel like in any of this that I’m working. I’m serving with joy, gladness, and peace and would not want to be anywhere in the whole world serving in except Reformed Forum. So again, I said about pastoring that the Lord’s given me the desire of my heart. Serving with Reformed Forum, though, it’s just been a delight that the Lord has brought. There are people that I won’t mention by name, but they have engaged in extraordinary giving and continue to give in ways that astound me to enable this kind of ministry. They have my deepest gratitude and admiration in the Lord. So, brother, as long as the Lord continues to cause Reformed Forum to flourish, and I have the ability and capacity and strength to serve, the duty is delight. They go right together.

To have over 3800 students in 75 countries involved at Reformed Forum, and to see it exploding in terms of worldwide outreach and ministry and serving the global church so profoundly, that especially gives me unbridled joy in the Lord. I pray that the Lord will continue making Reformed Forum this growing servant of the universal, worldwide Church. I love everything about Reformed Forum, but that, in particular, really is close to my heart to be able to serve brothers and sisters in different countries, under great persecution, who otherwise don’t have access to this kind of theology. To be able to serve them with rich, Reformed theology in the way that Reformed Form enables, and with the quality in terms of the platform and the presentation, as men committed to the deeper Protestant conception, it’s very exciting. I’m thankful to be a part of it, and I’m thankful to see the way the Lord has been blessing it. I’ve been amazed at the way that the Lord is causing Reformed Forum’s ministry to explode throughout the world. And it’s all of the Lord, so we give him glory.

In terms of that worldwide explosion, would you at liberty to share about any of the work that you’ve done with our brethren in China or Cambodia?

I’ll give you just one example. I’ve had an opportunity with a dear brother to talk to numbers of brothers in China, engaging in the training of pastors. I’ve taught a course to brothers in the Lord who are serving and pastoring. I just recently recorded some sermons that will be a part of a conference coming up, and I believe that there are going to be around 1200 people attending. For the last decade, I’ve had opportunities pre-COVID to go to Hong Kong to engage in service of these Chinese brothers and sisters. I can just testify to this: the Lord is giving them extraordinary grace and deep conviction. If Reformed theology in seminaries in this country is on the decline, which it is, and if the broad evangelicalism of this country is strangling true piety and vibrant doctrine, which it is, if liberalism and Barth and the post-conservative evangelical, post-liberal movements are divesting the system of doctrine of its vitality and substance, which it is—as you see a relative decline in the West, these brothers are on fire. The persecution that they are receiving is only causing more and more joy and vigor and militancy to make Christ known and to have an opportunity to serve. I’m going to stop because this gets me choked up, brother, but to have the honor and the privilege to serve such brothers whose hearts are so clearly cruciform and cross-stamped, serving the Lord, not seeking treasure on Earth but in heaven, it’s amazing. That opportunity and ongoing attempts to partner with those brothers, it’s just a delight.

Amen, brother. What you’re saying resonates in a peculiar way with me as I’ve had the great joy of regularly corresponding and working with many brothers and sisters in mainland China and Taiwan through our Reformed Academy. I’m consistently blown away by how they are willing to joyfully lay their lives down for the gospel. They often suffer much hardship for the sake of our Savior in their families and work, and yet at the end of the day, they still have the Spirit-wrought energy and zeal do the difficult work of translation and subtitle correction for us at Reformed Forum. They labor for nothing but for the glory of God and to see the riches of the Reformed faith flourish in their land. I’m truly in awe of what the Lord is pleased to do in bringing Reformed Forum these connections with saints that weren’t on my radar, but they were on the Lord’s radar. He is bringing the Church, his global family, together even while the world is at war. Chinese believers and Western believers are loving one another and are growing unto perfection in Christ.

It is of the Lord. They are the dearest of brothers and sisters, so praise the Lord for them.

As we come to the close of our interview, how might our friends and supporters around the world pray for you and your ministry?

I really appreciate you asking. Pray for my wife to continue to flourish and for our relationship to grow; for my children to continue to flourish and walk with the Lord as they’re doing; for faithfulness in ministry at Trinity, preservation of the elders and growth of the congregation. Pray also for the work at Reformed Forum to move forward with people recognizing that we give all of our resources up front for free. Pray that the Lord would raise up people to support Reformed Forum’s work so that this global outreach, these 3800 plus students from 75 countries, could continue to be served. Pray that the Lord would make Reformed Forum faithful in serving the church and not be distracted by any other mission outside of the mission of Colossians 1:28, to seek to present everyone mature in Christ through the presentation of what the Scriptures teach as received and expounded and enriched in our Reformed confessional tradition. Prayer along all those lines, and that the Lord would make me personally faithful in love and in truth for the sake of Christ would be deeply appreciated.

We look at the significance of a trio of prophecies: the flight to Egypt, Jeremiah’s prophecy of the weeping of Rachel, and that “he would be called a Nazarene.” Matthew identifies Jesus with us, so that we might identify with him. The glorious king is not what many expected, and his kingdom does not look the way many expect.

Participants: Joel Fick, Mark A. Winder

What does Paul mean when he says that all things in heaven and earth will be united in Christ? The apostle moves from what Christ did on the cross for his people — to look at the place of the cross in all of history. Robert Arendale and Mark Winder look at the concept of mystery, the language of “things in heaven and things on earth,” and the culmination of this text — the uniting of these things.

Participants: Mark A. Winder, Robert Arendale

This the first installment of a quarterly series of interviews highlighting the Lord’s work in the lives and ministries of our Reformed Forum faculty. Up first is Jim Cassidy, president of the Reformed Forum board of directors and pastor of South Austin OPC in Austin, Texas. He sits down with Ryan Noha to discuss growing up Roman Catholic, giving up his life for the gospel, and serving the Lord in his family, church, and the work of Reformed Forum.

Jim, we have many longtime friends and supporters at Reformed Forum who know you well, but for those who are just meeting you for the first time or haven’t heard about your background, tell us how you made your way from Roman Catholicism into the OPC. How were you converted, and then how were you “born again” as one of Machen’s Warrior Children?

I appreciate that question. I think that growing up Roman Catholic has given me a particular perspective on the Reformation. When I was growing up Roman Catholic, the emphasis was very much upon the rules and doing what you’re supposed to do so that you don’t displease God. And if you don’t displease God, then you can get yourself out from underneath his wrath. So everything was geared towards this work of merit, whether it’s in the participation of the sacraments, going to church, not talking in church to your friends, kneeling properly, being an altar boy—you got some extra points for that. Now, they didn’t put it in those terms. But that’s sort of the message that was communicated.

As I was growing up and into college, I was under the impression that if you did enough good works, or if you did more good works than bad works, then you would go to either purgatory or heaven. But if you were a particularly nasty sort that did more bad deeds than good deeds, you would go to hell. Now, nobody I knew, despite the depravity that we exercised in our lives, thought that they were so bad as to be going to hell. And when they did something that was particularly bad, and they knew it, they would joke around and laugh and say, “Ha, I’m going to hell!” But it was not really taken seriously. I had this impression going into college.

It was there in college that I met a Baptist believer who was ministering to me and praying for me. His church’s youth group back home was also praying for me. And he was witnessing to me telling me about the gospel. When I told him my understanding of Christianity as I just explained it, he said, “No, that’s not how you get to heaven. You get into heaven by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” And now, we know, and I know from hindsight, that that’s not itself the gospel: “Having a personal relationship with Jesus.” That’s more of an evangelical way of saying that it’s not on the basis of your works or your goodness that you get into heaven but by faith in Jesus Christ. And so I remember going to bed that evening and saying to Jesus that I wanted to have a relationship with him. I woke up the next day, and I began to read my Bible and basically haven’t looked back since.

Now at that time, I didn’t fully comprehend the gospel. I knew nothing of the Reformation. So my intent was to be a Catholic—a good Catholic—and to stay in the Catholic Church. My intent was to go around telling everybody that they need to have a “personal relationship with Jesus” because that’s what I was taught. At that point, a Reformed person who was part of a Protestant Bible study took me aside. He began to explain to me the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, and he told me a little bit about the Reformation and “faith alone” and “grace alone” and all of that stuff. And when I went home over Christmas break during my sophomore year, I began to read Galatians. It blew my mind because Paul was articulating everything that I did not believe or that I was not taught growing up. In fact, it was the exact opposite of what I was being taught as I was growing up. It absolutely transformed and renovated my way of thinking about sin and salvation, the gospel—the whole nine yards. I quickly became very angry at the Catholic Church when I thought about the way that they were misleading me. My soul, and the souls of millions, was dependent upon the church proclaiming the truth and the true gospel, and Rome wasn’t doing that. It upset me very much.

I’ve gotten over my anger, but speaking to the issue of Machen’s Warrior Children, perhaps the reason that I am so dogmatically committed to Reformed theology is because I believe that it is as Warfield put it: “Christianity come to its own.” And if Reformed Christianity is “Christianity come to its own,” then we absolutely must stand for it; we must fight for it. Souls are at stake. I would never want our church to lose that message. I think Machen felt that way, too, even though he wasn’t raised Catholic. He was raised within the Presbyterian Church, but he was militant about the truth because he knew that it was a life-or-death situation. And I know it’s a life-or-death situation. So I believe in the Reformed faith and in zealously maintaining it, promoting it, preaching it, and teaching it because I believe truly that lives are at stake.

Amen, brother. I never tire of hearing how the Lord has brought a person to the understanding of that life-giving gospel: the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and coming again. It’s only through union with him that we have any hope of salvation. It’s really that simple. We aren’t Reformed because we’re pugilistic, but because the Reformed faith is the only faith worth contending for. It’s radically consistent with Scripture, and that’s why we love it. That’s why we agree with Machen when he said on his deathbed, “Isn’t the Reformed faith grand?”

Yes. I think everybody has it within them to give their lives for something. We all know the brevity of our lives, and I think I think everybody wants to give their life to something that that counts, that makes a difference. Most of the time people identify the wrong thing to give their lives for. When I found and discovered the truth of the gospel as it was recaptured and re-articulated by the Reformers, I found something where I could say, I’m willing to die on that hill. I’m willing to surrender my life for the sake of that message because it has eternal consequences, even as the message itself is eternal as it says in the Book of Revelation, the “eternal gospel.” Without that understanding, we don’t have the gospel. We only have a man-made imitation of it as Paul says in Galatians, which is “no gospel at all.”

It’s really important for us to understand that we don’t want to be Machen’s Warrior Children, as it were, for the sake of making other people’s lives difficult. Or if we’re being just obnoxious, having a reputation for being that pugilistic guy who’s always looking to fight—we don’t want that. We don’t fight for the sake of the fight; we fight for the sake of the faith. We fight the good fight of faith. It’s important for us to keep our eyes on that because it’s that faith which will bring Christ’s children to maturity. And that’s part of what our goal is at Reformed Forum: to declare the whole counsel of God unto the people of God so that everyone in the church can be brought to the point of maturity in Christ, all to the glory of Christ, for the good of his church, and the evangelization of the lost. That’s something that we have to bear in mind.

We’re supporting the Great Commission of the church. We’re not the church; we’re not doing the Great Commission. Rather, we’re seeking to come alongside the church to support its mission to preach the gospel. And without understanding exactly what it is that the Scriptures teach about the gospel, we have nothing to offer the world. We have no evangel, no gospel to preach, unless we are clear, concise, and accurate in our proper reading of the Scriptures, aided by the Holy Spirit through the testimony of the church in the past and all the greats upon whose shoulders we stand. Without that, we don’t have a message that is worth living for. It’s not worth dying for. It doesn’t aid in the work of evangelism.

That’s right. Without that message, it’s not even evangelism at all. Now, on that note of discipleship, I’d love to hear how this all works out in your family life. Would you give us portrait of your family and then share a bit about how you seek to lead in such a way that the Lord would draw your wife and children into these glorious truths that we hold so dear?

My wife, Eve, is a great helpmeet to me. She has been there by my side in ministry for the last 20 years. I’m so very grateful. We’ve known each other longer than that, but we’ve been married in ministry for 20 years. We have three wonderful children, Caitlyn, Ian, and Anna, and they’re all great kids. I love them dearly. In terms of your question about discipleship, it’s a little bit different now because the kids are older. Eve has a job outside the home, and I have a job, of course. So we’re all going every which way, and our time together for regular, regimented family worship is not in the same pattern as it was when the kids were younger. We were very regimented. After our evening meal, we would have Bible reading, catechesis, and prayer. Now, my pastoral instinct to try to mitigate the awkward schedule of having older kids, one of whom is in college, is to take every opportunity to talk to them about the things of the Lord and to pray with them. I drive my daughter to school every day and we pray on the way to school; we talk about the things of the Lord and about the church. My kids are inquisitive, so they like to ask questions. I try to maximize those questions to illuminate the faith.

It’s much more dynamic, living as it is now in terms of ministry to the family, but I have to emphasize the importance of catechesis. My kids have a bedrock, a foundation, in the Catechism that they learned when they were younger. If I were to be honest and sober, I would say that they probably wouldn’t be able to recite word for word the vast majority of the Q and A’s that they learned as they were growing up, but the substance is there. And there are a few very key questions and answers that the kids still very much have burned or etched within their memories, such that it would go rote if I were to ask the question at random. Sometimes I’ll say, “What does every sin deserve?” in the course of conversation, and the kids instantly say, “the wrath and curse of God,” which is from the Children’s Catechism. There are some of those questions that are really familiar: Who made you? What’s your chief end? And however you might rephrase that question, they’ve got it; they know it. So it gives us something to build on as they as they grow older and as they mature in the faith.

Catechesis was the kind of thing that I did not grow up with. Catholicism would say, we do catechesis; the Catholic Church has a Catechism. But really, catechesis is a Protestant Reformational practice. When I was growing up, we read very little Bible. Even in Catholic parochial school, which I went to from first grade right through college, we studied very little in the Scriptures. And we certainly didn’t get regular, regimented catechesis, learning questions and answers in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We were not well instructed at all. Despite the fact that we had religious training all throughout, we didn’t learn the faith systematically.

Nonetheless, that’s a beautiful thing that you can look back on God’s faithfulness today and see how he has worked through the “foolishness” of catechesis in your own family, in the next generation. You can share in the great joy that the Apostle John spoke about when he heard that his children, his flock, were “walking in the truth.” Tell us about your own church, your own flock. Where do you serve and how is the Lord using the means of grace to gather and perfect his people there?

Thank you for that. I love my church very much. And it’s a joy to be able to talk about the congregation and the work here in South Austin. I came here in 2014. The congregation in Pflugerville, Texas, which is just to the northeast of Austin, not very far outside city limits—that was the original South Austin Presbyterian Church actually. They were originally meeting in locations on the south side of the city. Then they were able to get a piece of land and build a building, but it was to the northeast in Pflugerville. They ended up moving up there, leaving the south side somewhat untended in terms of Reformed witness. Glen Clary was the pastor there before I arrived at Providence in Pflugerville. And they had a group at that church that was meeting for Bible study down on the south side. There were about 20 to 25 people that were traveling north from South Austin up to Pflugerville for worship on Sunday, and they were desirous of starting a work on the south side.

That Bible study had been going on for five years when they finally called me to come as a church planter. We started worship services in July of 2014, and we became a particular congregation in 2015. From there we began to grow and to develop as the Lord continued to add to our numbers. A couple of years ago, we were able to purchase the building where we now carry out our ministry. Not long after we started worshiping, after we particularized, we had a couple of families come to our church from the New Braunfels area, which is about 45 minutes south of here towards San Antonio. We ministered to those families, and they were desirous of starting a work in New Braunfels. This was funny, because we were praying from the very beginning that the Lord would allow us to become a church-planting church plant. We didn’t want to wait very long to start praying and thinking about the next church plant. And so that’s what ended up happening. Within five years, we ended up starting the work down in New Braunfels. And now in a couple of weeks’ time, Lord willing, the New Braunfels church is going to particularize as a new and regular congregation. We’re really excited about that.

South Austin OPC itself is a very mature congregation. The folks are very serious about the word. They’re absolutely committed to Reformed worship, to the inclusion of Psalms in worship—not exclusively, but inclusive psalmody—and to Reformed orthodoxy. Our elders are very good shepherds. They take good care of the people and are very attentive, patient, kind, and loving. Our deacons are the same. They’re attentive to the needs of the congregation and have done a great job tending to the flock. Anyway, that’s a little bit about us. It’s a congregation that I’m so very much in love with.

What are you preaching and teaching through these days in terms of sermon series or Sunday school, and what fruit is your ministry bearing in the congregation?

In the morning, we are going through the book of James. That has been very useful for all of us, myself, especially. James’ exhortation with regard to the use of our words has been transforming for me, and I think for others, as well. As Reformed Christians, we are a very principled people, and rightly so. We believe that we are to live on the basis of God’s Word, and so we live in a very principled way. And we believe that we can know God and how he wants us to live. But sometimes, when a principled mindset combines with the old nature, we can very quickly allow our zeal to overtake our holiness, our self-discipline, and our restraint. Then sometimes we speak out of a desire to be principled, to stand for the truth, but we do so perhaps in a way that’s not loving and kind and proper and biblical.

James’ exhortations on what it means to suffer have also been a tremendous help to me personally. He’s one of the few places outside of the Book of Job that you can find reference to Job. James is very concerned to instruct the congregation who is obviously suffering. They are suffering persecution and opposition from the world, and James is concerned to teach them what it means to suffer righteously. Sometimes, suffering righteously means guarding your words in such a way that when you’re attacked, you don’t return attack for attack and so forth and so on. That’s been very helpful, I think, to the congregation.

In the evening, I’ve been preaching on 1 Chronicles. We’re going to get to 1 Chronicles 5 this Sunday, Lord willing. The congregation has been remarkably receptive to that series. I thought it would be a flop, quite frankly, because, as you know, the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles is just a list of names except in chapter four where you have the prayer of Jabez. Of course, much has been made of that by some. I did a two-part series on chapter four, focusing exclusively on the prayer of Jabez. There were some little polemics in those sermons, which is appropriate in this instance.

The emphasis that I’ve been trying to underscore, however, is that we are the people of God. Our identity in Jesus Christ is found with the people of God under the old covenant. So when we read these genealogies, we have to understand that they are our genealogies. We’re living in a day and age where there seems to be a renewed interest in family lineage and genealogy. You can take a prick of blood or saliva, send it to some company, and they’ll tell you who your people are. But that’s DNA. We’re talking about something that’s deeper than DNA, which is the covenant of grace. We’re emphasizing our unity in the covenant of grace with the people of old and now showing the way in which the people of God are a people of every tribe, nation, and tongue.

During Sunday school, we’ve been working through R. B. Kuiper’s book on the doctrine of the church, The Glorious Body of Christ. And I talked about that a little bit recently on a Christ the Center episode. That’s been really helpful, especially in the area of church authority and power. I think there’s a lot of confusion out there about what church power and authority is or is not. Kuiper gives us a tonic to avoid an evangelical sort of no-churchism on the one hand, and then a kind of Roman Catholic-authoritarian-dominating kind of approach to authority and power on the other. He gives us the Reformed position. That’s been very helpful and sparked a good deal of interesting conversation in our congregation.

Another area where Kuiper is so good is on the indestructibility of the church. Persecution not only does not destroy the church, but persecution is actually the seed bed of the church. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The church grows from persecution. The world can’t destroy the church; rather persecution will only advance the cause of Christ in this world. When we suffer righteously, we are identifying most intimately with our savior in his sufferings. The pinnacle point at which we are to imitate Christ is precisely here, in our willing suffering. That doesn’t mean that we go out and ask for it or look for it. Some of the early church fathers were somewhat guilty in this regard, but normally nobody wants to suffer. At the same time, we are willing, like Jesus, and as he calls his disciples to do, to lay our lives down for our friends, the glory of Christ, and the building of the church.

That foolishness of the cross will never become less foolish to the world, but to those who are God’s elect, it is the power of God unto salvation. So keep preaching it, brother! Now we could continue discussing and rejoicing in the Lord’s good work through your ministry in the local church, but I’d love to hear how you are also striving to serve the church in her Colossians 1:28 work through your labors here at Reformed Forum.

My role at Reformed Forum is somewhat supportive, which is great because that’s what I think I’m good at that. I’m not the sort of person that excels at leadership and taking charge and making things happen. Our dear brother Camden, our Executive Director, is excellent at organization, administration, execution of tasks and what not. He’s got the big vision; he knows what he’s doing. I’m here simply as a board member, and as the president of the board, to support him and our faculty—to cheer everybody on and to assist in anything that needs to be done to accomplish our mission.

As a faculty member, I’ve been working on a number of things, including a class on the Gospel of John that I hope to be able to roll out sometime later this year. I also do blog posts and Christ the Center episodes. I try to encourage our Van Til cohort students on Discord (our chat platform). I just see myself as playing a supporting role, throwing myself in anywhere that the Lord opens up for me to encourage, help, and assist. Everybody over there at the new office is doing a great job in terms of getting my material for the Westminster Shorter Catechism classes [Qs. 1–38 and Qs. 39–107] into published, book form. I’ve been working on that manuscript, and hopefully that will come out later on this year.

With the busyness of the pastorate and family, finding time to be able to execute on those projects that I have on my desk is something that is moving along way too slowly. I wish that I was able to produce more as a faculty member, but I remain blessed. The Lord has been gracious and kind. I love what Reformed Forum is doing. To be involved at all is a privilege and an honor. I’m sort of like the free safety in football—just kind of standing by waiting to make an interception or to maybe a tackle. I’m looking to be there when I’m needed and then to fill in that gap as those needs arise. But really, if I aspire to anything, it’s to become the water boy.

That’s one thing that I love about working with you. And the same is true for the other brothers at RF. You have a servant heart. You’re just seeking to live coram Deo and to serve the church. I love that that’s in our mission statement. It’s in our blood, our spiritual DNA. We don’t want to be big shots or to replace the church; we want to be servants to her and to labor unto the glory of our Head, even Jesus Christ, who by his Spirit and word perfects his bride. It’s such a joy to labor with you as a like-minded brother in Christ, to know the bond of peace that we have by the Spirit.  

Psalm 133. It’s better than the oil going down Aaron’s beard and robe. Amen, and amen. And the feeling is mutual brother. Thank you for the great work here that you’re doing for Reformed Forum. We are exceedingly grateful and regard you as a gift from the Lord.

All that I’ve received is from him, and I praise him for that. As we look together unto the Lord to provide the increase for all of our labors, are there any particular things that our listeners and supporters can lift up in prayer on your behalf?

We always covet prayers, the prayers of the saints wherever they may find themselves, for our church and ministry in South Austin. We covet the prayers of God’s people everywhere for the ministry of Reformed Forum for everything that we’re doing, from recording classes to rolling out books and blog posts. Pray that the work of Christ by His Spirit would continue. And I would ask even that it would increase in my heart, so that as I become more like Christ, I will be more effective at showing others how to walk with Christ.

Redemption is the work of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Pauline trinitarian emphasis is something that may be somewhat lacking in modern preaching, but is essential in understanding the unique work of each of the three persons. With this trinitarian emphasis Robert Arendale takes a look at the need, the cost, and the blessing of redemption.

Participants: Mark A. Winder, Robert Arendale

Dr. David Barry joins us to speak about his book, The Exile of Adam in Romans: The Reversal of the Curse against Adam and Israel in the Substructure of Romans 5 and 8 (Fortress Academic, 2021)

In this book, Barry investigates the “divine son” motif in Romans 5 and 8 through the lens of exile and restoration. Both Adam’s exclusion from Eden and Israel’s exile from Palestine are, for Paul, a divine son falling short of God’s holiness and forfeiting the divine inheritance and presence. The themes of Adam and Israel are complementary examples of sin and separation from God, which Paul argues are reversed in Christ and for believers in union with him. This theme of “divine sons” provides a framework for interpreting Paul’s use of restoration prophecies in Romans 5 and 8.

Dr. Barry is pastor at Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Powder Springs, Georgia and Visiting Lecturer in New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. He received his Ph.D. in New Testament from Westminster Theological Seminary (2018). Prior to his doctoral work, he studied at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS, (M.Div, 2013), and Clemson University (BS, 2009).

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:51 Background and Biography
• 00:07:25 Coming to Redemptive-Historical Hermeneutics
• 00:09:35 Paul’s Theology of Exile
• 00:11:37 First Century Jewish Views on the Exile
• 00:17:22 A Canonical Perspective of the Exile
• 00:27:12 The Deeper Protestant Conception
• 00:29:36 The Original Context of Romans
• 00:33:49 Shared Themes in Romans 5 and 8
• 00:37:25 Romans 7 in Context
• 00:43:52 The Connection between Romans 7 and 8
• 00:50:15 The Holy Spirit in Romans 8
• 00:54:22 Biblical Chapter and Verse Markers
• 00:56:15 Exile and Restoration in the Gospels
• 00:59:46 The Church in the Wilderness
• 01:06:16 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Barry, Will Wood

How do you preach a passage as speckled and mottled as this one? We look at a text that at first glance has nothing to say about Christ and see how through the continuity of God’s covenant promises we are presented with a foreshadowing of Christ plundering Satan’s house, and through death destroying the one who had the power of death.

Participants: Glen Clary, Mark A. Winder

The apostle Paul uses the metaphor of a building to describe the people of God. What is the significance of this metaphor, and what are the implications of that, particularly for ministers of the word? We also discuss how to choose a pericope and how much exegetical detail is appropriate in a sermon.

Participants: Glen Clary, Mark A. Winder

What does it mean to be predestined, and to what end does God predestine his people? Robert Arendale joins us again in an exposition of this important passage, including a discussion exploring what part polemics play in a sermon.

Participants: Mark A. Winder, Robert Arendale

This section of Genesis showcases an alarming lack of dependence upon God, which results in deception and contention in Jacob’s family. Here we see the foundation laid for much of the conflict of the following chapters, as well as the introduction of Joseph whose story will be the subject of the last third of Genesis. In spite of Jacob’s foolishness, God will take this dysfunctional family in forming people for himself.

Participants: Mark A. Winder, Robert Arendale

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus to remind them of the “unsearchable riches” of Christ (3:8).  That is, he writes to remind the Christians living in that metropolitan port city, awash in paganism, of the heavenly blessings that belong to them in Christ (1:3).  A few years prior to his writing the letter to the Ephesians, Paul had labored in the city for almost three years.  God in his grace blessed Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, and many sinners repented and turned to Christ (Acts 19:1-20).  Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a rich treasure of Christ-exalting truth.  In Christ the age to come has exploded into this present evil age; and by means of the Holy Spirit, the exalted Christ is building his church composed of both Jew and Gentile who have been reconciled unto God and unto one another.  As we, like the Ephesians, revel in the blessings of our union with Christ, we are called to ‘live a life worthy of the calling we have received’ (4:1).  We are called to walk by faith in a manner befitting our status as saints in Christ (1:1).  Join us as we introduce the glorious letter of the Apostle Paul.

Participants: Mark A. Winder, Robert Arendale

Occasionally the New Testament provides a direct connection to the words of the Old, pointing like a bright beacon to the person of Christ. We find that is the case as we look at the story of God’s ladder from Genesis 28. Angels ascend the ladder with a message for God from Jacob and descend from heaven with a message from God for Jacob.

Participants: Mark A. Winder

Although Jacob and Esau both show themselves unworthy to inherit the covenant promises, we see, through two theological paradigms—the offspring and the land—that God Almighty will lead his people to the land of promise.

Participants: Glen Clary, Mark A. Winder

Dr. William Dennison, pastor of Emmanuel OPC in Kent, Washington, speaks about J. Gresham Machen’s theological method as disclosed through his radio addresses just a few years prior to his death. Machen understood that the modern world and the church were in a state of emergency. While many of Machen’s listeners would have thought about the economic volatility of the depression or perhaps the political unrest of fascism and communism. Moreover, many of these listeners would have expected Machen to discuss solutions to these ailments along the lines of those advocated by progressive modernists. Yet, Machen called his listeners to Christ and his kingdom, which transcends this visible world.

Machen speaks often about the benefits of reason, experience, and common sense. In these radio addresses, however, he states clearly that all these elements are to be viewed in subordination to the truth of God’s Word. Specifically, they function in the manner that God, the Creator and Ruler over all things has created them to function. We know this from the Bible.

Dennison, “J. Gresham Machen’s Theological Method”

Machen rejected a general appeal to categories such as reason, experience, empirical facts, common sense, and rhetoric as a means of establishing common ground because of his deep understanding of the effects of sin upon all of man’s faculties. Dennison connects this aspect of Machen’s theology to that of his colleague at Westminster Seminary, Cornelius Van Til.

As a man whose theology appears to still be under development, Machen was neither blindly following the evidentialist tradition of Old Princeton leaning upon Thomas Reid and Scottish Common Sense Realism nor that later mature apologetic system of Van Til.

Further Reading

• William Dennison, “J. Gresham Machen’s Theological Method” (PDF article)
• Machen, J. Gresham. Things Unseen: A Systematic Introduction to the Christian Faith and Reformed Theology. Glenside, PA: Westminster Seminary Press, 2020.
• Bahnsen, Greg L. “Machen, Van Til, and the Apologetical Tradition of the OPC.” In Pressing Toward the Mark: Essays Commemorating Fifty Years of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, edited by Charles G. Dennison and Richard C. Gamble, 259–94. Philadelphia: The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1986.
• Hart, D. G., and John R. Muether. “Why Machen Hired Van Til.” Ordained Servant 6, no. 3 (July 1997): 65–68.

Participants: Bill Dennison, Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

What does suffering have to do with the life of the Christian? Is suffering something we just have to endure until that time that we will have the victory in Christ? To address this matter, we turn to a classic article by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., “The Usefulness of the Cross,” The Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 41 No. 2 Spring 1979, pp. 228–246.

Links

• Audio of Dr. Gaffin delivering this paper

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

We introduce two new books from InterVarsity Press: Created and Creating: A Biblical Theology of Culture by William Edgar and Contours of the Kuyperian Tradition: A Systematic Introduction by Craig Bartholomew.

A Special Offer from IVP

Through the end of October 2016, visit ivpress.com and use the code 40556 for 40% off on volumes in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series. If you call IVP at (800) 843-9487, you can also receive $2 flat rate shipping. The commentary on Romans 9–16 edited by Philip Krey and Peter Krey is forthcoming.

The Reformation Commentary on Scripture (RCS) gives you access to a wealth of Reformation-era commentary on Scripture that is largely unknown and for the most part unavailable in English. While the giants of the era, such as Luther and Calvin, will be presented, you will also be introduced to a host of figures with whom you might be unfamiliar, yet who contributed to the Reformation in important ways. In doing so, the RCS demonstrates both the unity and diversity of thought that characterized this vital period in the history of the Church.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Dr. Lane G. Tipton, the Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, teaches on sanctification in this special presentation from Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the fourth installment of the series. The entire series is as follows:

1. A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
2. Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
3. The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
4. Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
5. Questions and Answers
6. The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
7. The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
8. Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service; sermon re-recorded in March 2021)

Participants: Lane G. Tipton

Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, teaches on the biblical concept of salvation in this is a special presentation titled Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the third installment of the series, which is organized as follows:

1. A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
2. Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
3. The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
4. Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
5. Questions and Answers
6. The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
7. The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
8. Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service; sermon re-recorded in March 2021)

Participants: Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

Dr. Lane G. Tipton, the Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, teaches on regeneration in this special presentation from Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the second installment of the series. The entire series is as follows:

1. A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
2. Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
3. The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
4. Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
5. Questions and Answers
6. The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
7. The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
8. Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service; ; sermon re-recorded in March 2021)

Participants: Lane G. Tipton

Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary provides a biblical overview of union with Christ in this special presentation titled Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the first installment of the series, which is as follows:

1. A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
2. Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
3. The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
4. Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
5. Questions and Answers
6. The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
7. The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
8. Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service; sermon re-recorded in March 2021)

Participants: Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

Panel

• James White
• Jason Pickard
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Alpha & Omega Ministries
• Answering Islam

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, James White, Jason Pickard

Panel

• Stephen J. Nichols
• Jeff Waddington
• Jim Cassidy
• Nick Batzig
• James Dolezal
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography/Discography

Participants: James Dolezal, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig, Stephen J. Nichols

Panel

• Carl Trueman
• Nick Batzig
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Panel

• John Muether
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, John Muether, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Russell Moore
• Jeff Waddington
• Jim Cassidy
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig, Russell Moore

The Christ the Center panelists interact with Dr. John Carrick, associate professor of applied and doctrinal theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, about his latest volume The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards published by Banner of Truth within the last few months. Dr. Carrick is also the author of another banner of Truth title, The Imperative of Preaching. Dr. Carrick discusses Edwards’ God-centered and Christ-centered preaching. Particularly noteworthy was Edwards’ ability to paint with vivid imagery so that when he pointed to Christ, he did not merely mention him but made him vivid as he sought to make an impression on his hearers at the time of the sermon delivery. Dr. Carrick also dispenses with certain caricatures of Edwards the preacher, such as the idea that all he ever preached were hellfire and damnation sermons. It is true that he did preach searching sermons that warned unbelievers of their destiny, but he also preached sermons that extolled the beauties of Christ and heaven. The CTC panel was also informed that Edwards was not a monotonous preacher who stared at the church bell rope. He was sincere, earnest, and affectionate in his preaching. At the end of the day, there are many lessons to learn from Jonathan Edwards even if he was not infallible. Edwards would be pleased if we would glorify the Triune God who created this universe in which we live.

Panel

• John Carrick
• Nick Batzig
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, John Carrick, Nick Batzig

Panel

• John Fesko
• Nick Batzig
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, John Fesko, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Ron Gleason
• Lane Keister
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Lane Keister, Ron Gleason

Panel

• K. Scott Oliphint
• Jeff Waddington
• Jim Cassidy
• James Dolezal
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, James Dolezal, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, K. Scott Oliphint

Panel

• David W. Hall
• Jim Cassidy
• Lane Keister
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Links

• The Calvin Quincentenary
• Lane Keister’s review of The Theological Guide

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, David W. Hall, Jim Cassidy, Lane Keister, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Greg Reynolds
• Jeff Waddington
• Jim Cassidy
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Greg Reynolds, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Martin Downes
• Jeff Waddington
• James Dolezal
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Against Heresies

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Martin Downes

Panel

• Darryl G. Hart
• Gary L. W. Johnson
• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Ararat
• Accordance Bible software
• The Gospel Coalition
• Fosdick’s sermon “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?“

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Darryl G. Hart, Gary L. W. Johnson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

We had the opportunity to sit down with Jeff Jue, Associate Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Jue is an expert on the eschatological views of the Westminster Divines and his research is a very stimulating subject. The answer to the question “What were the views of the divines?” may surprise you.

Panel

• Jeff Jue
• Lane Tipton
• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Jue, Jeff Waddington, Lane G. Tipton, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Rick Phillips
• Nick Batzig
• James Dolezal
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Links

• The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, James Dolezal, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig, Rick Phillips

Panel

• Derek Thomas
• James Dolezal
• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Derek Thomas, James Dolezal, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Panel

• J. Ligon Duncan
• Nick Batzig
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Links

• First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, J. Ligon Duncan, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Panel

• R. Scott Clark
• Jeff Waddington
• Jim Cassidy
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Links

• The Heidelblog
• Justin Taylor’s roundup of the interaction between Enns, Helm, and Beale
• Scottish Journal of Theology
• Report from the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
• The Baptist Confession of 1689
• The Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig, R. Scott Clark

Panel

• Mark Garcia
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Early English Books Online
• Rowland Ward’s review of The Divine Spiration of Scripture by A. T. B. McGowan
• The Gospel Coalition
• Themelios Journal

Bibliography

Participants: Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Mark Garcia, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Lane Keister
• Nick Batzig
• Drew Dinardo
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Drew Dinardo, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane Keister, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Gary Johnson
• Lane Keister
• Jeff Waddington
• James Dolezal
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Gary L. W. Johnson, James Dolezal, Jeff Waddington, Lane Keister

Panel

• Lane Keister
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Green Baggins
• The Puritan Board
• Biblical Horizons

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane Keister

Panel

• Lane Tipton
• Jeff Waddington
• Jim Cassidy
• Camden Bucey

Links

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton

Hosts

• Jeff Waddington
• Nick Batzig
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Leon Morris – The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross
• Greg Bahnsen – Sermon Series, “The Extent of the Atonement”

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Hosts

• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

Hosts

• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Hosts

• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy